Johnson calls for tougher laws in drugs fight
RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - Tougher laws and more government involvement are badly needed in the fight against doping in sport, former Olympic sprint champion Michael Johnson said on Tuesday.
"When people think 'I could go to jail for just using steroids,' then maybe that would help," Johnson told Reuters in a telephone interview from San Francisco.
The current system of banning athletes from the sport is not enough, the 200 and 400 meters world record-holder said.
"You can safely say in the last four, five, six years the cheaters have been ahead and they have won."
Johnson said his Sydney Olympic 4x400 meters relay team mate Antonio Pettigrew was a perfect example of how people can use performance-enhancing drugs and escape punishment unless called upon to tell the truth in court.
Pettigrew, who had never failed a doping test, admitted last month during the trial of former coach Trevor Graham that he had used performance-enhancing drugs during his career.
"The only reason he has actually admitted to it is because he would go to jail for perjury if he did not admit to it," Johnson said.
"But people don't think about that when they decide to cheat," the winner of five Olympic gold medals said.
"The idea that if I am caught I am going to be embarrassed, my family is going to be embarrassed and I may be banned from the sport for a couple of years or maybe four years and have my contract taken away and my livelihood taken away obviously isn't enough of a deterrent," he said.
Johnson made the comments after revealing in a British newspaper column that he was returning his Sydney relay gold medal because of Pettigrew.
"I don't want it," Johnson wrote. "I feel cheated, betrayed and let down."
PRAISING DECISION
His office has since been flooded with calls from people praising his decision.
"Once he (Pettigrew) admitted to it, immediately I started to think whether this medal was legitimate," Johnson said.
"It's not, and if it is not, it's pretty simple, we don't deserve to have it," he said.
Johnson said it was more difficult coming to terms with the fact that someone he had thought of as a friend had cheated.
"Basically, he lied to me, and that was difficult to deal with," he said.
Even harder, Johnson said, was the realization that he would no longer be known as a five-times Olympic gold medalist.
"That is what I achieved," he said. "But now having to change that and get use to being a four-time Olympic gold medalist ...is difficult. One of my accomplishments have been taken away from me."
American officials praised Johnson's decision.
"We are pleased that Mr Johnson has voluntarily chosen to return his medal from the 4x400 meter relay, which we believe is an example that others should follow," U.S. Olympic Committee chief executive officer Jim Scherr said in a statement.
"Mr Johnson's action underscores his commitment to uphold the values of clean competition and further enhances his status as a great Olympic champion," Scherr added.
USA Track and Field, the sport's government body, agreed.
"The doping revelations of the last several years have created a no-win situation for team mates and fellow competitors who are adversely affected by athletes who cheat," USATF spokeswoman Jill Geer said.
"Michael has made a difficult and very significant choice about following his conscience in this unenviable situation."
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
